Over the years I have often been asked to comment on international and national current affairs. Film crews and reporters visit my home for various stories or content for documentaries. I have even been filmed preparing Moroccan food for several overseas cooking shows in my kitchen.

Fatima filming at home in Canberra, Australia

The preparation to set up is quite technical and as I work together with the crews I have become firm friends with them as they tackle the unique problems at each different filming location. Sometimes small railway tracks for the camera dollies are clipped together to run through the house to smooth the transitions from room to room. The window sunlight often needs to be filtered then uncovered again for the close-up shots to reveal the views outside.

Fatima filming in the Conflicts 1945 to Today exhibition at the Australian War Memorial

A number of my artworks are on display in Australia’s national institutions and filming at these locations can be very challenging. Early morning starts are the norm as filming must be completed before the public entry times. The video equipment is wheeled in and out on carts through the many narrow corridors and large exhibition spaces. Noise free sound recording can be particularly difficult as much of the daily cleaning and exhibit maintenance is carried out in the morning hours before the institution opens. All of this leaves very little time for more than one or two takes before the gear is cleared away before the arrival of the public.

Fatima with NMA staff and crew after filming at the National Museum of Australia

Interviews for Moroccan radio and television are different. The interview has to be re-recorded several times in Arabic, French and English to accommodate audiences that speak different languages. This also allows the same interview to be used on the multi-language news programs aired at different times of the day.

Fatima after an interview with 2M national TV at the MAC-A Gallery located on the beachfront in Asilah, Morocco.

My most recent interview was the ABC Australia Wideprogram for a segment on “When art and culture collide” featuring the Islamic Museum of Australia. This interview shows my art displayed in the IMA and my comments were filmed in the studio spaces at home. You can watch the program at the times shown below or over the web on ABC iView for a limited time after the on-air dates.